Windshield construction



July 18, 1933. J s, MacMULLEN 1,918,922

WINDSHIELD CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 29, 1929 2'SheetsSheet l Inven i; on

JS/WAC WULLEA .1. s. MacMULLEN 1,918,922

July 18, 1933.

WINDSHIELD CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 numerals are employed PatentedJuly 18, 1933 IJ-NITEn srargs ieiaerz ATE N or if" .Jonns. IvIgicMULLEN,or sen rn-an'crsco, catirennin- '7 WINLSHIELD consrnuc'rron Applicationfiled November 29, 1929. Serial No. 410,563.

This invention relates to improvements in Windshields.

The principal object of'the invention is to providea windshield for amotor vehicle and w '5 the'like'that'will move out of its normal "15which will afford the usual protection against the elements.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character whichwill not increase the cost of applying the windshield to the car.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of a-portion of anautomobile having my windshield applied thereto.

Figure 2- is a fragmentary detail perspective of the windshield frame inopen positon,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the windshield.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line l4 of Figure 3,showing the windshield in open position,

Figure 5 is a view similar to F igure l,

showing the windshield in closed position, Figure 6 is a fragmentaryaerspective viei of one of the hinge members, and

Figure 7 is a detail viewshowing the manner in which thespring plungeroperates.

It is a well known fact that a great many people have been seriouslyinjured due to the fact that when a collision occurs, the person sittingin the front seat is thrown against or through the windshield with theconsequent breaking of the glass.

I have therefore devised a windshield Mn i wherein the force of theimpact will cause V the windshield as whole to inovefrom a vertical to ahorizontal position and at a point just under the customary visor, withthe result-that the person within the vehicle"- to which my windshieldis attached, may be projected through the windshield opening withoutcontacting theglass. P

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a 'preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designatesan ordinary pane of glass, commonly found in Windshields and the numeral6 the frame of the vehicle into which the windshield is placed. Thisglass V 5 is carried in .a suitable channel. member 7 which channelsurrounds the entire glass pane and is hingedly secured to a windowframe 8, through the expediency of forming the channel 7 along its upperedge into a semi-circular offset 9 (see particularly Figures 2 and Thechannel member 7' carries thereon spring fingers 7" that serve toconnect the channel to the frame 8.

The [window frame 8 is trunnions 11 to the vehicle 6. This frame 8 isadjustably held to the window frame by the customary thumbscrew 10 andpivoted link 12, one end of which is connected to the frame 8, while theopposite end has a sliding 9 connection with the thumb screw 10 which issecured to the window frame. This arrangement allows the windshield 5tabs swung outwardly and heldbetween the link and thumb screw inadjusted vposition. In order 5 to effect a quick release between thechannel member 7 with the pane 5 therein, and the window frame 8 Iprovide a link at each end of the channel 7, which link is shown at 14.

The link 14 is pivoted as at 16 to the chan nel and as at 17 to aplunger 18 which bears against a spring 19 housed within the frame 8.The result of this construction is that under normal conditionsthewindshield 5is in a vertical position as'shown in Figure 5. lVhenitis desired to have ventilation, the 7 thumb nuts 11 are released andthen the pane with the frame 8 may be swung to the dotted line positionupon the trunnions 11 7100 and locked in this adjusted position.

pivoted through i Assuming that the parts are in their normal positlonas shown 111 Figure and the vehicle upon which the device 1s attachedcomes into engagement with an object and the vehicle is suddenlystopped, the inertia will cause the pane and channel member to overcomethe toggle action of the spring 19 and to move to the full line positionof Figure 4:. The spring 19 assists in this movement as soon as theprimary action has taken place and the impact will cause the fingers 7to be disengaged from the frame 8.

To eliminate the danger of the glass 5 breaking and to absorb the shockof the contact of the glass with the top of the car when the windshieldassumes an open position as shown in Figure 4:, I have provided buffers20 on the underside of the visor 21, or the top of the car as the casemay be.

7 From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be evident that I have produced awindshield wherein the sudden stopping of the car due to collision,willthrow the windshield entirely out of the normal path of an objectpassing through the windshield frame.

It is to be understood that the form of my holding said pivoted frame inadjusted position about its pivot, a windshield carrying channelpivotally secured to said second mentioned frame, and spring means forcausing said channel to move from a position parallel to said frame to aposition par: allel to the direction of travel of the motor vehicle,said spring means including a link extending between said channel andsaid pivoted frame, a plunger pivoted to said link and adapted toreciprocate in said pivoted frame, and a spring engaging said plungerfor the purpose speclfied.

JOI-IN s. MAoMULLEN.

